Measuring Success

How do you accurately measure irrigation water without drying up your profits?

If there is one thing we all can agree on it is this: nothing
is getting cheaper.

Even water costs more these days. In days past, water was thought of
as practically free. It fell from the sky and was delivered clean to
our homes and businesses for pennies a month. Farmers relied on the
rain falling from the sky to irrigate their crops, and when this was
not enough, it flowed from nearby rivers, streams, and channels to
make up the difference.

As populations grew, the demand for irrigation water increased, while
existing supplies decreased. This prompted the need to control and
meter water distribution, assuring resources were properly allocated.
The next question was — how do you measure irrigation flow
accurately and reliably out in a field, where there is little to no
power available to run measurement devices? Ultimately, the cost of
this operation must be affordable as farming profits are already
tight. So, what is the answer?

Continuous preservation of this valuable commodity requires an option
that is versatile, realistic and portable. A battery-operated,
in-line electromagnetic flow meter (Mag Meter) is quickly becoming one
of the preferred means of water measurement for crop irrigation.

Where irrigation systems are used in the production of crops, it is
essential that the delivery of water is accurately measured and
monitored. The accuracy of an electromagnetic flow meter ensures
water waste is kept to a minimum and farmers’ crops get the
proper amount of irrigation with a minimum of hassle. With no moving
parts, mag meters are not prone to wear nor have performance
degradation over time. The potential for flooding means that
IP68/NEMA 6P enclosure enabling installation and underground
installation is optimal. A perfect solution would include easy
installation with minimal inlet and outlet requirements. All of these
attributes make an electromagnetic flow meter like Siemens MAG 8000i water meter that is
perfect for those demanding conditions in our farmers’ fields.

Water is necessary to sustain life, yet in so many parts of the
world, it is becoming increasingly scarce. As stricter legislation is
enacted to preserve this vital resource for future generations, the
irrigation industry faces a formidable challenge: more carefully
managing water consumption and waste prevention while still remaining
profitable. As a knowledgeable partner in process instrumentation,
Siemens understands the needs of today‘s irrigation industry.